TIDY Tavi organisers were concerned that their recent litter picking event might be adversely affected by strong winds and heavy rain but a total of 18 hardy individuals gathered at Meadowlands ready to do their bit for the community.

The gathering included townsfolk of all ages, from teenage to septuagenarian. A new four-legged volunteer, Teddie, went along to help in his miniature high-visibility jacket.

A spokesperson for the group said: ‘Happily, what rain there was turned out to be fairly light and intermittent, so conditions were never cold and unpleasant. The only drawback was that much of the litter collected was saturated and therefore quite heavy in the rubbish bags. Nevertheless, a large part of Tavistock was visited and a large haul of discarded refuse collected.’

Next month’s expedition will mark Tidy Tavi’s fifth birthday, with celebrations being held in the Meadowlands Café. Tidy Tavi organisers expressed thanks to all volunteers, past and present, for their hard work in maintaining Tavistock’s well-earned reputation as one of the cleanest and most attractive towns in Devon.

Anyone who would like to go along to celebrate and do a bit of litter-picking afterwards can join in at 10am on Saturday, October 1.

During its existence, it is estimated that Tidy Tavi volunteers will have cleared approximately 15-tonnes of waste from the streets of Tavistock, filling 1,500 rubbish sacks.